Handle attaching means



Filed Feb. 15, 1946 FIG.

INVENTOR FLOYD J. KENDALL mm zm ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 25, 1949 HANDLE ATTACHING MEANS Floyd J. Kendall, Springfield-Ohio, .assignor to The Springfield Metallic Gasket 00., Inc., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 13, 1946, Serial No. 647,353

7 Claims. 1

My invention relates to handles for caskets and similar structures; and inparticular to the construction and methodof assembly of such handles and the attachment of the handles to the casket.

The object of my invention is to provide a-handle assembly that can be preassembled with the escutcheon plate and handle in complete form in an integral structure; and which can be attached to a casket or similar structure rapidly without any assembly work being done other than the mounting of nuts on the attaching bolts.

It is an object to provide means of interconnecting the assembled handles so that the load upon the handles will be distributed, the handles will be uniformly supported with reference to one another to prevent warping and twisting and so that the predetermined relationship with respect to the casket and tothe escutcheon plate and with respect to one handle and its position with the other handle will be'maintained uniform.

It is a further object to provide a handle attaching means which performs the dual function of maintaining the position of the handles with respect to one another, of transmitting the load uniformly, of supporting by the attaching means the enclosing escutcheon plate in such a manner as to not display in any way the attaching bolts or other means which are completely concealed by the escutcheon plate.

Heretofore in the art it has been difficult to provide a complete preassembly and it has been difllcult to provide a complete preassembly and it has been necessary to utilize exposed attaching bolts or screws and to perform the assembly work on the casket. It has been the practice generally to use independent arms for the handles which leads to twisting, misalignment and uneven distribution of the load. One of the problems has been to maintain the handle in alignment without twisting, to provide an escutcheon plate that will be carefully positioned and remain in position and to eliminate unsightly attaching-means for the eschutcheon plate or the handle structure.

By the present invention it is possible to obviate these difficulties by first providing a supporting plate. To this supporting plate is attached by a single pivot attaching means both the arms of the handle and the escutcheon plate. In this manner by the use of the supporting plate it is ,possible to preassemble the supporting plate, the pivots for the handle armsand the escutcheon plate. Thereafter it is possible to insert the bolts for attaching the handle and plate .tothecasket and 2 then insert the bolts inside the casket and apply the nuts so as tosecure the plateand handle-as semblyas a unit to the casket.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the completely assembled handle and escutcheon plate construction mounted on the side wall of the casket;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1 showing the-parts in section in assembled and mounted position;

Figure 3 is a-section on line 33 of- Figure-1 showing the supporting plate in an elevated position to-facilitate the insertion of the attaching bolts;

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 2 showing the handle in its elevated position;

Figure 5 is a detailed vieW of the supporting plate from the outside showing in section-the means-of attachment of the arms of the handle and the escutcheon plate through common pivot or pintle pins.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I is the side wall of the casket which is provided with holes 2 in which are mounted bolts 3, on which bolts 3 are mounted the attaching nuts 4.

The escutcheon plate and handle assembly is constructed and preassembled as follows.

A supporting plate 5 has square apertures 6 punched in it to receive square shanks 3a of the attaching bolts 3. The bolts are provided with heads 3b which engage with the outer surface of the supporting plate 5.

The ears 1 on the supporting plate 5 are struck up from the plate metal to leave a recess 8. These ears are pierced to receive the pivot or pintle pins 9 having heads Ill and oppositely pointed ends H. The escutcheon plate I2 is provided with arm receiving apertures l3 through which the ends I4 of the arms i5 of the handle assembly are inserted. These arms are provided with ears l6 that have apertures corresponding to the apertures in the ears 1 of the plate 5 and in alignment therewith. The escutcheon plate -I 2 1 assembly .in one unitary construction. The arms l5 are. connected together by the handle bar l9. Thus the complete .preassembly of the .handleand escutcheon plate is-. accomplished-because in this condition .ready accessto the inside ..of the. escutcheon, plate is available. so that the pins-'19 can be inserted after the parts are easily aligned.

Thereafter the back plate 5 is swung up from a vertical position into a horizontal position and the bolts 3 are inserted so that their shoulders 3a which constitute the square portion of the bolt fit the square holes 6 in the supporting plate '5. After insertion of these bolts 3, the back plate 5 is swung downwardly into a vertical position so that the bolts 3 can be inserted in the apertures 2 in the side wall of the casket I. They are likewise inserted through the wood backing plate 20 and thereupon the nuts 4 are mounted .upon

the threaded inner ends of the bolt 3 and the complete preassembly of handle, supporting plate and escutcheon plate is attached by the two nuts 4 to the casket.

It will thus be seen that the entire assembly is unitary and that by the use of the preassembly the parts can be put together quickly even though the workmen may have relatively large hands. This eliminates the time taking and tedious operations of the prior art. The result also is that no attaching means is disclosed from the exterior of the casket to mar the beauty of i the resulting structure. It is also impossible to detach the handle except by entering the interior of the casket.

It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific structure and arrangel ment shown in the drawings but desire to comprehend such modifications thereof as come within the scope of the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an escutcheon plate and handle assembly, the combination of a supporting plate having means for attachment thereof to a casket,

an escutcheon plate with an inwardly disposed attaching means and handle receiving apertures adjacent thereto, a handle assembly comprising a handle bar and spaced handle arms having individual means of attachment within the es 2. In combination, a supporting plate, supporting bolts mounted therein, said supporting plate having projecting ears at right angles to the face of the plate, an enclosing escutcheon plate having handle arm apertures adjacent said ears and an attaching means marginally located with respect to said apertures and ears, a handle assembly including a pair of arms adapted to have their inner ends inserted within said apertures of the escutcheon plate and ears on said inner ends of said arms insertable between the ears on said supporting plate and a common pivotal attaching means inserted through the ears of the attaching plate, the escutcheon plate and the arms of the handle assembly.

3. In combination, a supporting plate, means thereon for attaching said plate to a casket, an enclosing escutcheon plate, a handle assembly comprising a handle bar and a pair of arms and means of pivotally attaching the escutcheon plate and arms to said supporting plate.

4. In combination, a supporting plate, means thereon for attaching said plate to a casket, an.

enclosing escutcheon plate, a handle assembly comprising a handle bar and arms, means of pivotally attaching the escutcheon plate and arms to said supporting plate, attaching bolts mounted from the outer side of said supporting plate projecting inwardly into the space behind said supporting plate whereby the escutcheon plate conceals the outer endsof said attaching bolts .and the pivotal attaching means between the escutcheon plate and the handle arms.

5. In combination, an escutcheon plate having spacedapertures, handle assembly comprising a handle bar and spaced arms the inner ends of which are adapted to be inserted in said escutcheon plate apertures and the inner ends of said arms having apertured ears located within and concealed by said escutcheon plate, a supporting plate mounted within and concealed by said-escutcheon plate having outwardly directed ears with aligned apertures with respect to said handle arms and inwardly directed bolts having the bolt heads between the outer face of the supporting plate and the inside of the escutcheon plate.

6. In combination, an escutcheon plate having spaced apertures, handle-assembly comprising awith aligned apertures with respect to said handle arms, inwardly directed bolts having the bolt heads between the outer face of the supporting plate and the inside of the escutcheon plate, and supporting means formed integral with the escutcheon plate projecting between the ears of said supporting plate andaligned with the apertures in the ears of the supporting plate and a common attaching means insertable through the ears of the supporting plate the inner ends of the handle arms and the attaching means of the escutcheon plate. I

7. In combination, an escutcheon plate having spaced apertures, handle assembly comprising a handle bar and spaced arms theinner ends of which are adapted to be inserted in said escutcheon plate apertures and the inner ends of said a'rmshaving apertured ears located within and concealed by said escutcheon plate, a supporting plate mounted within and concealed by said escutcheon plate having outwardly directed ears with aligned apertures with respect to said handle arms, inwardly directed bolts having the bolt heads between the outer face of the supporting plate and the inside of the escutcheon plate, supporting means formed integral with the escutcheon plate projecting between the ears of said supporting plate and aligned with the apertures in the ears of the supporting plate and a common attaching means insertable through the ears of the supporting plate the inner ends of the handle arms and the attaching means of the escutcheon plate, said supporting plate having rectangular bolt receiving apertures and said .retaining bolts having fitting rectangular portions adapted to engage with the walls of said apertures to prevent rotation of the attaching bolts when the attaching nuts are applied.

FLOYD J. KENDALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hoefie July 17, 1906 Number Number 

